Events

Barnstorm Presents—"Secret Family" Sketch Comedy
2026-02-20 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Theater Arts B100 Studio Theater, 453 Kerr Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
Get ready to laugh with “Secret Family,” UC Santa Cruz’s home-grown sketch comedy team.
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ABOUT BARNSTORM
UC Santa Cruz students experiment with and create their own innovative theater and gain a sense of operating and creating art in the Barnstorm Theater Company, a student-run theater arts production company established in 2004.
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ADVISORIES
– Ticket holders not seated at least 10 minutes before the advertised start time may forfeit their ticket/seat and no refund will be issued.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Fri. Feb. 20: 7:30 p.m.
Sat. Feb. 21: 7:30 p.m.
Sun. Feb. 22: 2:00 p.m.
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ADMISSION
– Tickets issued through Eventbrite HERE; Follow the Dept. of Performance, Play & Design and Barnstorm on Eventbrite for notifications and updates.
– Free for UCSC undergraduate students (ticket required).
– General admission “Pay What You Like” options $5–20
– A limited number of tickets/seats may be available at the door, even after online ticket sales end or reach full capacity.
– Doors are scheduled to open 30 minutes prior to event start time.
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PARKING
– Parking by permit, ParkMobile, or $11 cash/credit via the on-site parking attendant
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– UCSC affiliates must purchase their permits before arriving at the event in order to receive their discounted UCSC rate. Attendants will only sell the non-affiliate-priced permits.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS)
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Slugs Go Bowling
2026-02-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Boardwalk Bowl, 115 Cliff St, Santa Cruz, 95060, United States
Join the Office of Leadership and Involvement, in collaboration with the Slug Mentor Network and the Services for Transfer, Re-entry, and Resilient Scholars (STARRS) Office, for Slugs Go Bowling — a UCSC student takeover at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk Bowl!
Celebrate and connect with fellow Banana Slugs during an evening of free bowling, desserts, swag, and community-building. This event is designed to help students mingle, build connections, and learn more about campus support services in a fun, welcoming environment.
Don’t miss the chance to snap a photo with Sammy the Slug!
Date: Friday, February 20
Time: 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Location: Boardwalk Bowl 115 Cliff St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
RSVP HERE
If you have questions or need accommodations, please email involved@ucsc.edu.
We can’t wait to see you there!
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Fredrickson, K. (CSE) - Practical Anonymity with Formal Resistance to Traffic Analysis
2026-02-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Anonymous communication systems hide who is talking to whom, not just what is said. However, existing systems are either vulnerable to traffic analysis attacks–attacks where adversaries observe and correlate the network traffic of users–or are forced to rely on unrealistic and unenforceable assumptions about how users behave. Worse, existing theory lacks tools to rigorously model traffic analysis attacks, much less inform whether if a system is secure against traffic analysis or how to design systems that are.
We make several contributions toward our goal of practical anonymity systems that resist traffic analysis. First, we develop the first formal framework for describing the security of systems against traffic analysis attacks, allowing us to quantitatively describe and compare the security of all existing works. Second, leveraging this framework, we develop a security definition that distinguishes between systems that are and are not susceptible to traffic analysis. We call this property input/output independence. We use this definition to prove that the dominant model of systems–synchronous systems–cannot practically provide input/output independence. We then design a new asynchronous anonymity functionality, deferred retrieval, that achieves input/output independence with far more flexible user assumptions and up to 3400 times less traffic overhead for the same latency compared to prior methods. Finally, we design and implement Sparta, a family of high-throughput, scalable instantiations of deferred retrieval using trusted execution environments and oblivious algorithms, yielding the first practical anonymity systems that are formally resistant to long-term traffic analysis.
Event Host: Kyle Fredrickson, Ph.D. Candidate, Computer Science and Engineering
Advisor: Darrell Long
Zoom – https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/98133127429?pwd=[REDACTED]
Passcode – 242206

Ecology of Presence: Pathways to the Natural World
2026-02-20 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-19 12:00 - 17:00, 2026-02-18 12:00 - 17:00 | Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, 11 Cowell Service Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Norris Center Art + Science Graduate Fellowship Exhibition
Ecology of Presence: Pathways to the Natural World brings together the work of ten graduate students supported by the Kenneth S. Norris Center for Natural History Art + Science Fellowship, a program dedicated to creative research connecting art with the natural world. Across media – including sound, moving image, music, performance, installation, comics, social practice, photography, and storytelling – the artists in Ecology of Presence emphasize relationality and careful attention to place as essential to building relationships with environs. As accelerating environmental change and technological dependency threaten ways of belonging, the works in this exhibition maintain a steadfast commitment to interdisciplinary approaches that propose kinship with the natural world. By coming together, Art + Science Fellows artworks and social practices suggest ways of imagining human life in relation to the more-than-human world.

Graduate Council Workshop: Future of Graduate Education at UCSC
2026-02-20 11:30 - 14:00 | University Center, University Center, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Graduate Council will be holding a winter 2026 graduate director brown bag workshop on the future of UC Santa Cruz graduate programs
When: Friday, February 20, 2026 from 11:30am–2:00pm
Where: University Center Alumni Room (this is an in-person only event)
Who should attend: All current and former graduate program directors. Interested faculty who are not graduate directors may also RSVP to the event, but space is limited.
Format: Brown bag workshop (please bring your own lunch)
GC’s goal is to learn how graduate programs are affected by the changing financial climate and career landscapes for graduate training, and to strategize how best to adapt. The workshop will begin with opening remarks from the Senate and Graduate Division, followed by breakout groups with faculty graduate directors to strategize the changing graduate landscape within their departments. The session will culminate in a collective discussion to define potential action items.
In preparation for this workshop, we ask that you engage in conversation with your departments around the following questions:

What curricular issues, if any, are your graduate programs facing? Are creative solutions possible, such as shared courses across disciplines and/or streamlining of curriculum? Are there other partnerships across disciplines that could assist your program in delivering graduate training?
What innovations have helped to decrease time-to-degree, particularly for your doctoral programs? What resources would be required to decrease normative time in your different disciplines?
How has your program’s training mission changed over the last 5-10 years? What innovations have departments adopted to prepare students for careers? Could your program envision internship/residency as part of graduate training and/or relationships with industry, the private sector, or government organizations?
How has your program adapted to changes in admissions and/or funding? What novel admissions process ideas could help to stabilize programs? What innovations might help your programs adapt to smaller cohort sizes?
Are there any initiatives that your program is interested in piloting?
How can campus and divisional administrators provide support to help existing students through their programs? What is the administrative role in innovations that will secure the future of graduate education on our campus?

Departments may also wish to discuss the following reports:

Future of Doctoral Programs at the University of California: Challenges, Opportunities, and Potential Paths Ahead
Systemwide Academic Senate Task Force on UC Adaptation to Disruptions (UCAD) Interim Report & Recommendations
Implementation Task Force for Inclusive Excellence in Graduate Education

Faculty may submit questions or issues they would like to discuss at the workshop through the RSVP form. Please contact Graduate Council at gc@ucsc.edu if you have any questions about the event.

Slugs at Sundown: Strengthening Your Professional Brand
2026-02-19 17:30 - 19:30 | Silicon Valley Campus, 3175 Bowers Avenue, Santa Clara, CA, 95054, United States
In a constantly evolving job market, having a clear and authentic professional brand can open doors at any career stage. Join fellow Banana Slugs for a practical, engaging conversation focused on how to show up—and stand out—professionally. We’ll explore how AI-powered tools can help you efficiently tailor your resume for specific opportunities, along with best practices for sharpening your LinkedIn presence and building meaningful, genuine connections online. Whether you’re exploring a new direction, preparing for your next move, or simply refreshing your professional story, this session offers actionable takeaways you can put to use right away.
New: Complimentary headshots will be available on-site for attendees.
Thursday, February 19
5:30 – 5:45 p.m. | Check-in
5:45 – 6:45 p.m. | Welcome, Presentation, Q&A
6:45 – 7:30 p.m. | Networking
The workshop will be presented by COOP Careers, in partnership with UCSC Career Success.
Professional headshot photography by Cherlyn Wagner (Merrill, ’99).
Please register to confirm your attendance.

Amplifying the History Curriculum for Multilingual Learners
2026-02-19 16:30 - 18:30 | CA
Join us to discuss how teachers can “amplify” rather than “simplify” history instruction for multilingual learners (and all students) by engaging with historical texts and interactive learning opportunities. We are celebrating the publication of the 2nd edition of Amplifying the Curriculum: Designing Quality Learning Opportunities for Multilingual Learners, which includes a chapter co-authored by Professor George Bunch and HCP Director Dr. Daisy Martin.
We will focus on the History/Social Studies chapter titled, “Selecting, Preparing, and Using Multiple texts in the History Classroom, ” and consider teaching the Deportations of the 1930s. The event will include presentations and discussions about creating inclusive learning environments and advancing equity using student-centered curriculum frameworks! We will host these events at both a Santa Cruz County and Monterey County location.
DATE: FEBRUARY 19 & MARCH 18, 2026
TIME: 4:30-6:30
TWO LOCATIONS: COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SANTA CRUZ COUNTY IN APTOS & CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY MONTEREY BAY
Register for Community Foundation Santa Cruz County in Aptos Location Here (Feb. 19)
Register for California State University Monterey Bay Location Here (Mar. 18)
Free books for the first 15 registrants who attend!
This event is supported in part by a grant from the Institute for Social Transformation at the University of California, Santa Cruz

Amplifying the History Curriculum for Multilingual Learners Flyer DOWNLOAD

Info Session: Global Seminar Evolution and Fish Biology in Southern Africa
2026-02-19 14:00 - 15:00 | CA
Learn more at our upcoming Information Session: Thursday, February 19 at 2:00-3:00 p.m. via Zoom.
Register here
Earn 12 upper-division units on an experiential EEB program this summer on the UCSC faculty-led Global Seminar: Evolution and Fish Biology in Southern Africa. This program is taught by Giacomo Bernardi, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
Quick Facts:

Locations: South Africa and Malawi
Courses: BIOE 157A: Ichthyology (5 units) and BIOE 157B: Evolution (7 units)
Led by: UCSC EEB Professor Giacomo Bernardi
Dates: June 15-July 13, 2026
Finances: Financial aid applies, and scholarships are available! Budget will be posted on the website when it is available.
How to apply: Visit here for instructions. Applications open on December 1 and close on March 2.
Get in touch: Email your questions to globallearning@ucsc.edu.

Program Description:
Dive into Evolution and Fish Biology through fieldwork and experiences in South Africa and Malawi. Begin your journey on a farm outside Pretoria, in Southern Africa, visiting the Sterkfontein Caves, one of the world’s most important archeological sites. Venture towards Kruger National Park, viewing evolution and evolutionary strategies. Fly to Cape Maclear in Malawi and embark on daily visits to the UNESCO World Heritage site, Lake Malawi National Park, an underwater park where you will snorkel and do hands-on experiments on how fish biology is performed in the field, specifically focusing on the huge variety of cichlids native to this region.

Global Seminar: Latin American Spain in Madrid Info Session
2026-02-19 13:00 - 14:00 | https://ucsc.via-trm.com/visitor/events/7105
Learn more at our upcoming Information Session: Thursday, February 19th at 1:00-2:00 pm via Zoom.
Register Here
Earn 6 units on a summer program on the UCSC Global Seminar: Latin American Spain in Madrid this summer. This program is taught by Catherine S. Ramírez, Professor of Latin American and Latino Studies.
Quick Facts:

Location: Madrid, Spain
Courses: LALS 184S: Latin American Spain (6 UC quarter units)
Led by: Catherine S. Ramírez
Eligibility: Good academic and disciplinary standing, Min Age: 18, 45 units completed at time of departure, Minimum GPA- 2.3 cumulative GPA or higher
Dates: June 22-July 24, 2026
Finances: Financial aid applies and is packaged at your home UC campus.
How to apply: Visit here for instructions. Applications open on December 1, 2025 and close on March 2, 2026.
Get in touch: Email your questions to globallearning@ucsc.edu.

Program Description:
What would gazpacho be without the tomato? What would LaLiga be without Messi? What would agriculture, restaurants, construction, and child and elder care be without migrants? Exploring subjects as varied as food, soccer, music, labor, and fascism, this course addresses these questions by examining Spain’s legacy as an imperial power in the Americas and the ways Latin Americans are transforming Spanish society and culture. This 6-unit Global Seminar fulfills UC Santa Cruz’s Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC) General Education requirement and is for undergraduates with a desire to learn about Spain’s diversity and dynamism from a Latin American and Latinx studies perspective. Students from any major who meet the standard eligibility requirements are welcome. The ability to speak Spanish is helpful, but not required. Discover more here.

Networking Skills 101
2026-02-19 12:00 - 13:00 | Career Success Student Lounge (125 Hahn), 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, United States
Does the concept of “networking” leave you feeling a little mystified? Everyone says this is an essential skill for career development, but how do we do it effectively? Join us for this fast-paced and informative workshop led by UCSC Career Success Student Coaches who will share best practices, insider tips, and relevant steps that you can take to network with confidence and success!

All students are welcome. The presentation will last 45 minutes, followed by a 15-minute Q&A.
We will provide captions for the presentation. If you have disability-related needs, please contact the Career Success office at csuccess@ucsc.edu or (831) 459-4420 as soon as possible.

YOU BELONG HERE
Programs and services are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities. To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Reframing the STEM Classroom: Justice as Pedagogical Practice
2026-02-19 10:15 - 12:00 | Namaste Lounge, 615 College Nine Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
In this conversation, Jabari Jones, Emily Murai, and Kriti Sharma reflect on their experiences integrating justice into teaching and curriculum design. They discuss why this work is critical for STEM fields and share lessons learned, concrete approaches, and the institutional and disciplinary transformations needed for justice to become core pedagogy across fields.
Click here for additional details.

Jabari Jones is an Assistant Professor of Earth and Oceanographic Sciences at Bowdoin College. His research is centered around the role of humans as a geologic agent on Earth and how rivers change through time.
Emily Murai is a Lecturer in UCSC’s Environmental Studies Department and Director of the Emerging Leaders Fellowship program at the Center for Reimagining Leadership. She explores interdisciplinary writing, critical environmentalism, and belonging in higher education.
Kriti Sharma is an Associate Professor of Critical Race Science & Technology Studies and Climate Justice Fellow with the Center for Reimagining Leadership at UCSC. She works at the intersection of science, philosophy, poetics and justice.

The Center for Reimagining Leadership (CRL) is dedicated to establishing workplaces and learning environments that reflect our equity-forward values and allow the full human diversity of our nation and the world to meaningfully contribute to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The Teaching & Learning Center (TLC) at UC Santa Cruz supports all members of the teaching community by using research- and equity-minded practices to strengthen the culture of teaching, advance innovative and accessible pedagogy, and promote student success through collaboration with educators and campus partners within our minority-serving research university.

Mental Health First Aid Certification
2026-02-19 10:00 - 14:00 | CA
Thursday, February 19, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Register for the Zoom link
Be prepared to support those around you by getting certified in Mental Health First Aid. Mental Health First Aid teaches the skills needed to recognize and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges, as well as how to provide someone with initial support until they are connected with appropriate professional help. In the course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies to help someone in crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help.
We encourage all staff and faculty to take advantage of this opportunity. Whether you work directly with students or behind the scenes, your participation in MHFA training is a crucial step in building a resilient and supportive campus community.
Register for the Zoom link. For more information, please visit the Occupational Health Training website.
For questions or to schedule a training for your team, please contact Occupational Health Specialist, Elizabeth Tomlinson, at ektomlin@ucsc.edu.

Enrollment Prep Week Tea Party
2026-02-19 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-02-18 09:00 - 15:00 | Merrill College Plaza, 641 Merrill Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Merrill Peer Advisors will be dishing out support and advise around your spring schedule. Stop by for Butterfly Pea tea, snacks, and peer advise.

Exhibition—The One with the Manes, works by Yasmine Benabdallah
2026-02-19 01:00 - 2026-03-15 00:59 | Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery, Baskin Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
A multimedia exhibition by Yasmine Benabdallah, Film and Digital Media PhD candidate, explores a shared history between Morocco, Brazil, and Portugal through video installations, photographs, and watercolors. More information about the artist.
Admission
– FREE and open to the public.
– Gallery hours are Mon.–Sat., noon–5:00 p.m.
– More Gallery information here.
Full schedule of events
– Ongoing exhibition is Feb. 19–March 14, 2026.
– Artist Talk is March 5, 5:00–6:00 p.m.
– Closing celebration is March 14, 2:00–4:00 p.m.
Parking
– Lot 124 & 125 are the closest parking lots to the event.
– Parking is by permit or ParkMobile.
– Refer to TAPS for more parking information.
This program is open to the general public consistent with state and federal law

Lunar New Year Celebration
2026-02-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Colleges Nine and John R. Lewis College Multi-purpose Room, 615 College Nine Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Lunar New Year is quickly approaching and to celebrate the year of the dragon, ISSP and College Nine/John R. Lewis will be hosting our annual celebration on Wednesday, February 18 starting at 18:00 at the C9/JRL Multipurpose Room.

Come join us for festivities including a sampling of Lunar New Year foods, crafts and activities, special performances, and much more. Stop on by to celebrate the lunar new year with your fellow international community.

In addition, we encourage you to check out our website for all things Lunar New Year at UCSC. This includes a greeting from Chancellor Larive and a schedule of upcoming celebrations from student groups.

Fetishized Book Talk with author Kaila Yu
2026-02-18 17:00 - 19:00 | Namaste Lounge, 615 College Nine Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Join AA/PIRC on Wednesday, February 18th from 5-7pm at Namaste Lounge for a conversation with Kaila Yu, former model and author of Fetishized, to discuss her experience being an object of Asian fetish and how media, pop culture, and colonialism contribute to the oversexualization of Asian women.

AA/PIRC will be giving out 20 copies of Fetishized at our event, where you can meet Kaila and get your copy signed! RSVP at bit.ly/aapirc-book.
You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.

Creative Interventions: "Empathy in the Archives" with Irene Lusztig
2026-02-18 16:00 - 17:35
Across a range of projects, filmmaker/artist, archival researcher, and UC Santa Cruz Film + Digital Media Professor Irene Lusztig discusses her creative practice working with archival materials to reanimate hidden, forgotten, and unsettled histories in this talk, organized as part of the Creative Interventions speaker series.
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ADMISSION
– Attend online
– FREE and open to UCSC affiliates only
– Advance registration required here
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
– Event dates to be announced throughout the 2025-26 academic year.
– Learn more about the Creative Intervention Series here.
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ABOUT THE SERIES
Creative Interventions addresses the interconnected work of artists, designers, activists, and knowledge workers—and the intrinsic and transformative capacity of that work to cultivate a just society. The speaker series raises questions of import to contemporary creative workers in media and technology. How do creative workers address their most challenging problems? How does creative labor intersect with other forms of labor to nurture the world views and cultural practices of democracy?
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This program is open to all UC Santa Cruz affiliates consistent with state and federal law.

Successful Slug Workshop: Note Taking and Reading Strategies (Zoom)
2026-02-18 14:30 - 15:30 | https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/7372922776?pwd=[REDACTED]
Note Taking and Reading Strategies
Wednesday, February 18, 2:45–3:30 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Learn reading and note-taking methods and why they work to help you learn.
Successful Slug Workshop Series
Join Learning Support Services (LSS) for Successful Slug Workshops on Tuesdays at noon and Wednesdays at 2:45 p.m.
These 45-minute workshops are open to all UCSC students and offer tools and strategies to support your academic success. Each session highlights best practices for effective, long-lasting learning and is led by LSS professional staff.
To get first priority, sign up on TutorHub or simply drop in. You can also sign up on TutorHub to receive email reminders.
Learn more and sign up: learningsupport.ucsc.edu/programs/workshops/
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You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Career Success Drop-In Coaching at the Cantú Cabin - Winter 2026
2026-02-18 13:30 - 15:00 | Lionel Cantú Queer Center, Crown Lane, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Drop-in with Career Coach & Engagement Specialist Bridge Kennedy to discuss Career Exploration, Job Search Strategy, Interview Prep, Grad School Prep, or whatever’s on your mind related to your career success!
Time: 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Dates: Wednesdays, Weeks 7 & 9 of Winter Quarter 2026
2/18/2026 & 3/4/2026
Location: Cantú Queer Student Resource Center, Merrill College
YOU BELONG HERE
Programs and services are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities. To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Info Session: Global Seminar Eco-Entrepreneurship in the Netherlands
2026-02-18 12:00 - 13:00 | CA
Learn more at our upcoming Information Session: Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 12:00-1:00 p.m. via Zoom.
Register here
Earn 10 units on a summer program on the Global Seminar Eco-Entrepreneurship in the Netherlands in Amsterdam this summer. This program is taught by Nada Miljkovic, Entrepreneurship Instructor and Program Manager for UCSC’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurial Development.
Quick Facts:

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Courses: Crown 92G: Social and Creative Entrepreneurship, GE: PE-H (5 units) and Crown 194: Eco Entrepreneurship, GE: PR-S (5 units)
Led by: Crown Lecturer, Nada Miljkovic
Eligibility: Open to students from any major who have completed 90 units by time of departure and have a minimum of a 2.3 GPA
Dates: July 27-August 29, 2026
Finances: Financial aid applies, and scholarships are available! Budget will be posted on the website when it is available.
How to apply: Visit here for instructions. Applications open on December 1 and close on March 2.
Get in touch: Email your questions to globallearning@ucsc.edu.

Program Description:
Discover how entrepreneurship can bridge the gap between the Netherlands’ thriving economy and its commitment to environmental sustainability! Based in Amsterdam, this immersive program includes exciting site visits to Rotterdam, Utrecht, and beyond. You will collaborate with local sustainability-focused entrepreneurs, exploring how innovative business models can tackle the challenges of conservation and development. Through hands-on experience and seminars in entrepreneurship and sustainability, you will gain valuable insights into creating businesses that prioritize environmental well-being. Join us to reimagine what it means to value and protect life in a modern, holistic way. Discover more here.

Engineering Teaching Community (Faculty)
2026-02-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Jack Baskin Engineering, Baskin Engineering 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
During the chaos of a quarter, is it hard to find time to reflect and improve as an instructor? Would you like to be a part of an inclusive, supportive group of engineering instructors who do this in community? ETC is for sharing teaching experiences, classroom ideas, research on learning, and methods that support instructors and students. All are welcome, and lunch is provided. Please reach out to Jenny Quynn with questions.

CSE Colloquium - Query Optimization: How to design a Meta-Algorithm that designs Algorithms?
2026-02-18 11:00 - 12:15 | Engineering 2, Engineering 2 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Presenter: Mahmoud Abo Khamis, RelationalAI
Abstract:
Database systems have evolved from simple bookkeeping tools to comprehensive data analytics platforms capable of learning from the data and making business decisions. As a result, database queries expanded in their expressive power and applications to include tensor computations, constraint satisfaction problems, graph analytics, scientific computing, SAT solving, among others. This puts a lot of pressure on modern query optimizers to rise up to the occasion and produce efficient query plans for a wide variety of very complex queries that describe problems in different domains. The ultimate goal of query optimization is for the query optimizer to become a “meta-algorithm” where you can feed in any problem definition and get back an efficient algorithm for this particular problem.
In this talk, we describe two related frameworks for query optimization that aim to take us one step in the direction of the above goal. The first framework is based on information theory. It uses information theory to get provably accurate cost estimates for query plans and to find the best query plan. Among other applications, this framework currently achieves the best known complexity for graph pattern matching problems, thus subsuming and generalizing known results in this area, where, for decades, algorithms used to be designed by hand for specific graph patterns. The second framework is based on algebra. It uses algebraic abstractions to unify and generalize algorithms across different domains, in the same way template programming allows for reusing code across different applications.
Bio:
Mahmoud Abo Khamis is a Senior Computer Scientist at RelationalAI, where he has worked since 2017. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2016. Prior to joining RelationalAI, he was a Senior Database Engineer at Infor from 2015 to 2017. His research interests include database systems and theory, in-database machine learning, query optimization and evaluation, information theory, and beyond worst-case analysis. His work has been recognized with two Test-of-Time Awards at ACM PODS 2025 and 2026, three Best Paper Awards at ACM SIGMOD 2025 and ACM PODS 2022 and 2016, three ACM SIGMOD Research Highlight Awards, and the 2016 Best CSE Dissertation Award from SUNY Buffalo. His work has also received multiple invitations to the Journal of the ACM, ACM STOC, and ACM TODS. He is on the Editorial Board of ACM TODS, and serves on the program committees of ACM PODS, ICDT, and ICALP among others.
Hosted by: Professor Nikos Tziavelis
Location: Engineering 2, Room E2-180 (*Refreshments such as coffee, tea, pastries, and fresh fruit will be provided in-person.)
Zoom: https://ucsc.zoom.us/j/93445911992?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meet a Roomie: University Town Center
2026-02-17 19:30 | University Town Center, 1101 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060
Looking for roommates for next year?
Hoping to add a roommate to a group or to join a group? Attend a Meet a Roomie event to connect with other continuing students who are interested in living at University Town Center for the 2026-27 academic year.
This is a casual, in-person opportunity to meet potential roommates and start forming your housing group before the application and Room Selection process begins.
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: University Town Center (map) Community Room

You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Drop-In Figure Drawing
2026-02-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Elena Baskin Visual Arts Center, Baskin Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Drop-In Draw provides a live model and room monitor. There is no formal lesson and only dry media is allowed (no paints).
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ADVISORIES
– These events contain mature content and nudity.
– Drop-In Draw is subject to the possibility of last-minute cancellation without notification, and sessions are not guaranteed.
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ADMISSION
– FREE and open to the public
– UCSC Art Department Room L-101
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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
This series occurs weekly on Tuesday evenings during winter quarter, including the following:
Tuesday January 6, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday January 13, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday January 20, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday January 27, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday February 3, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday February 10, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday February 17, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday February 24, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Tuesday March 3, 2026, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Additional dates to be announced for spring quarter.
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PARKING
– Parking by permit or ParkMobile.
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event.
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services (TAPS).
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.

Meet a Roomie: Cowell/Stevenson
2026-02-17 19:00 | Stevenson Event Center, Stevenson Service Road, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064
Looking for roommates for next year?
Hoping to add a roommate to a group or to join a group? Attend a Meet a Roomie event to connect with other continuing students who are interested in living in the Cowell or Stevenson communities for the 2026-27 academic year.
This is a casual, in-person opportunity to meet potential roommates and start forming your housing group before the application and Room Selection process begins.
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Stevenson Event Center (map)

You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.

Economics Winter Quarterly Faculty and Undergraduate Colloquium
2026-02-17 17:15 - 18:15 | CA
Join us for pizza and a presentation with Kevin Jones, associate teaching professor and accounting path director, and Scott Anderson, accounting lecturer, CPA and partner at Sensiba LLP. This presentation will cover the career opportunities available with an accounting concentration, recent updates to the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam, and an open Q&A to address any questions you may have.
This free event is open to economics undergraduate declared and proposed majors and economics faculty and staff.
EVENT DETAILS: Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 5:15-6:15 p.m., in Engineering 2, room 499 (pizza provided afterwards on fourth floor lobby).
Seating is limited and therefore favorable RSVP by way of this survey is needed on/before 4 p.m., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2026 (or sooner if filled to capacity). Your replies also help us to order proper amounts of food so no one leaves hungry!
Waitlist RSVP here.

Meet a Roomie: Delaware Apartments
2026-02-17 17:00 | Porter Hitchcock Lounge, 411 Porter-Kresge Rd, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060-4902, United States
Looking for roommates for next year?
Hoping to add a roommate to a group or to join a group? Attend a Meet a Roomie event to connect with other continuing students who are interested in living in the NEW Delaware Apartments community for the 2026-27 academic year.
This is a casual, in-person opportunity to meet potential roommates and start forming your housing group before the application and Room Selection process begins.
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Porter Hitchcock Lounge (map)

You Belong Here: The programs and services described here are open to all, consistent with state and federal law, as well as the University of California’s nondiscrimination policies. Every initiative—whether a student service, faculty program, or community event—is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and respectful of all identities.
To learn more, please visit UC Nondiscrimination Statement or Nondiscrimination Policy for UC Publications.
